Brick sample carrying and display case



c. M. SHAFER 2,748,499

BRICK SAMPLE CARRYING AND DISPLAY CASE June 5, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 15. 1952 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS June 5, 1956 c. M. SHAFER BRICK SAMPLE CARRYING AND DISPLAYCASE Filed Oct. 15, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Carlton M Ska/ferATTORNEYS 2,748,499 BRICK SAMPLE CARRYING AND DISPLAY CASE Carlton M.Shafer, New Philadelphia, Ohio, assignor to The Stone Creek BrickCompany, Stone Creek, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October15, 1952, Serial No. 314,850

3 Claims. (Cl. 35-53) The invention relates to a brick sample case, andmore particularly to a case adapted for carrying sample slabs of variousshades and texture of brick and including a display panel having stripsof sponge rubber thereon to simuv late mortar joints, between which theslabs may be inserted and frictionally held in place to simulate aportion of a brick wall.

Under present practice it is customary for brick sa1esmen, in order topresent samples of various shades and textures of brick to customers, tocarry with them a great number of made up panels, each simulating aportion of a brick wall, or to carry five or six bricks of each shade ortexture in a strap.

Since the average brick manufacturer produces about fifteen differentshades and textures of bricks, this necessitates the carrying of fifteenseparate panels, or fifteen separate straps of bricks in order topresent samples of the complete line of bricks.

Such panels weigh about fifteen pounds each, and a strap of bricks weighabout twenty pounds, making it necessary for the brick salesman to carrytwo hundred and twentyfive to three hundred pounds of samples with him.

Due to present trafiic and parking conditions in cities, the salesman isusually required to carry these heavy samples a considerable distancefrom his car to the place of business of an architect, buildingcontractor or other customer, necessitating several trips from his carto the customers oflice, after which it is usually necessary for him tocarry this considerable number of heavy samples to an upper floor,either by'elevator or stairway.

Another disadvantage is that the customer is caused considerableannoyance and inconvenience because of the time and confusion of gettingall of the samples into his otfice and displayed, and then later gettingthem all removed from the ofiice. t I I It is therefore an object of thepresent invention to provide a brick sample carrying and display caseadapted to contain a complete line of all shades and textures of bricks,with means for quickly and easily displaying a sample wall of anydesired type of bricks, the entire assembly being of such weight that itmay be easily carried in one hand.

Another object is to provide such a sample case in which thin slabs ofthe various types of bricks are located in slightly inclined, uprightcompartments, at the proper angle for quick selection of shade and easyaccessibility.

A further object is to provide a sample case of this character in whichthe slabs are normally held against shifting or rattling by means of adisplay panel having rubber strips thereon for contact with the slabs.

A still further object is to provide a brick sample case including adisplay panel having sponge rubber strips attached thereto to simulatemortar joints, between which the brick slabs may be inserted andfrictionally held in place, to represent a portion of a wall constructedof any desired shade and texture of bricks.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a nited StatesPatent display panel having a folding or hinged bracket upon the backthereof for holding the panel in upright position.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from thedrawings and following description, or which may be later referred to,may be attained by constructing the improved brick sample case in themanner hereinafter described in detail, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a brick sample case embodying theinvention, showing the same in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, on a larger scale, of the sample case in openposition, the display panel being removed from one side thereof to showthe brick slabs therein;

Fig. 3 a longitudinal section through the sample case, taken as on theline 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 a perspective view of one of the display panels, showing themanner in which the brick slabs may be assembled thereon to simulate aportion of a wall; and,

Fig. 5 a rear elevation of the display panel.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, in whichsimilar numerals refer to similar parts throughout, the improved samplecase, indicated generally at 10, may be formed of wood, or othersuitable material, and comprises two similar halves 11-11, hingedlyconnected together, as by the piano hinge 12, and adapted to be latchedin closed position by any suitable clamp or fastening means, asindicated at 13 in Fig. 1.

A suitable handle 14 is provided for carrying the case and the cornersmay be bound with metal as indicated at 15. Rubber feet 16 may beprovided at the bottom so that the case may be set upon a desk or thelike without marring the surface thereof.

Each half 11 of the case is the same and comprises a bottom wall 17,similar side Walls 18 and end walls 19. The side walls 18 are providedwith a plurality of slightly inclined slots 20 in which are located thepartition walls 21 terminating at points spaced from the open upper end.

These partition walls form a plurality of slightly inclined compartments22, each compartment being of suitable size to receive a thin brick slab23 of a length and width equal to the ordinary face brick or buildingbrick, or a pair of slabs 23a each of which is substantially onehalf thelength of a brick.

These brick slabs are adapted to be held against movement or rattling intheir respective compartments by means of a display or background panel24. This panel may be formed of any suitable rigid material, such ashard pressed fiber board of the type sold under the name Masonite, wood,or the like, and has upon its rear or underside longitudinal strips ofrubber or similar material, as indicated at 25, for contact with theupper edges of the brick slabs so as to hold them tightly in positionwithin the case.

This panel is adapted to be located in place within the case by means ofthe turn buttons 26, or similar fastening means, located in the recess27 in the side and end walls 18 and 19.

The compartments 22 may be provided with suitable markings (not shown)indicating the shades and texture of the brick slabs located therein.With this construction the slabs are located at the proper angle foreasy access and quick selection of shade or texture of brick.

Each display or background panel 24 has a plurality of equally spaced,parallel sponge rubber strips 28 and perpendicular, sponge rubber strips29 located between alternate pairs thereof, permanently attached to itsfront surface as by cement or other adhesive.

These sponge rubber strips are colored to simulate mortar and are soarranged upon the panel as to simulate the horizontal and verticalmortar joints in a wall. The horizontal strips 28 are so located,relative to each other, that the spaces therebetween are slightly lessthan the width of the brick slabs 23 and 23a.

Thus, when the brick slabs 23 or 23a are inserted between adjacenthorizontal sponge rubber strips 28, as shown in Fig. 4, the strips 23are compressed so as to frictionally hold the slabs in position upon thepanel 24.

Means may be provided for holding the display panel 24 in uprightposition. This may be in the form of a spring wire bracket 30, havingterminal ends 31 and 32 pivotally mounted in the cleats 33 and 34attached to the back face of the panel 24.

The lower cleat 34 has a notch 35 in its upper side to receive thehorizontal, lower portion 36 of the spring Wire bracket 30, When thesame is swung outward perpendicular to the panel. The depending U-shapeportion 37 of the bracket 30 is thus in position to rest upon a table,or other horizontal surface, to hold the display panel in uprightposition, as shown in Fig. 4.

In order to display the bricks to a customer, to show how they wouldappear in a wall, three slabs 23 and four slabs 23a, of any desiredshade and texture of brick, may be quickly and easily removed from theupright compartments 22 of the case and inserted between the spongerubber strips of the display panel, simulating a portion of a wall builtof this particular shade or texture of brick.

In the same manner slabs 23 and 23a of different shades may be attachedto the panel to show how a mingled wall of any desired shades willappear.

With this sample case it will be obvious that the sales-.

man is able to carry samples of all of the different shades and texturesof brick into the customers office and to quickly demonstrate to thecustomer how any shade or texture of brick, or any mingled or blendedwall, will appear.

When the customer selects the shade or shades and texture of bricks, heprefers, the brick slabs may be quickly returned to their propercompartments in the case and the display or background panels 24replaced and locked in position in the case so that the entiredemonstration may be made very quickly without confusion or annoyance.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because suchwords are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to bebroadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated anddescribed herein are by way of example, and the scope of the presentinvention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the

construction, the operation, and use of preferred embodiments thereof,and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the newand useful constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereofobvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A brick display device comprising a panel, horizontal and verticalsponge rubber strips of rectangular cross-sectional shape permanentlyattached to the front surface of the panel with adhesive to simulatemortar joints, and brick slabs adapted to be frictionally insertedbetween said sponge rubber strips to simulate a portion of a brick wall,said sponge rubber strips being compressed by the insertion of the brickslabs therebetween and entirely filling the spaces between opposed edgesof adjacent brick slabs.

2. A brick display device comprising a panel, horizontal and verticalsponge rubber strips permanently attached to the front surface of thepanel to simulate mortar joints, and brick slabs adapted to befrictionally inserted between said sponge rubber strips to simulate aportion of a brick wall, said brick slabs being slightly wider than thespaces between said horizontal sponge rubber strips, said sponge rubberstrips being compressed by the insertion of the brick slabs therebetweenand entirely filling the spaces between opposed edges of adjacent brickslabs.

3. A brick display device comprising a panel, hori zontal andverticalsponge rubber strips of square crosssectional shape permanentlyattached to the front surface of the panel to simulate mortar joints,and brick slabs of slightly greater thickness than the sponge rubberstrips and adapted to be frictionally inserted between said spongerubber strips to simulate a portion of a brick wall, said brick slabsbeing slightly wider than the spaces between horizontal sponge rubberstrips, said sponge rubber strips being compressed by the insertion ofthe brick slabs therebetween and entirely filling the spaces betweenopposed edges of adjacent brick slabs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS633,963 Meehan Sept. 26, 1899 848,889 Fitzgerald Apr. 2, 1907 1,444,690Koch Feb. 6, 1923 1,444,691 Koch Feb. 6, 1923 1,478,425 Dickinson Dec.25, 1923 1,630,879 Winship May 31, 1927 1,676,445 Koch July 10, 19281,720,959 Koch July 16, 1929 2,013,741 Butler Sept. 10, 1935 2,668,371Artman Feb. 9, 1954

